Calls for Govt to step in on Tibet-China row

Top NZ expedition leader
calls on Government to step into Tibet-China row over
closure of Everest

Top New Zealand expedition leader
Guy Cotter today appealed to the Government to step into the
Chinese-Nepalese closure of Mt Everest.

Cotter flies to
Nepal tomorrow for the latest expedition season but not
before an urgent plea to Foreign Affairs Minister Winston
Peters.

Cotter organises mountaineering expeditions to Mt
Everest through a company Adventure Consultants which he
took over after the Everest death of Rob Hall, the original
founder, in 1996.

``We are poised to embark on our annual
expedition to Mt Everest (SE Ridge route, Nepal side) with
clients from across the globe. The expedition has been
planned and organised over the last year and I leave today
for Nepal.

``But we have been caught in the middle of a
political wrangle to satisfy China’s Olympic image,’’
Cotter said.

Their expedition usually runs from March 30
to June 2, climbing in the favoured pre-monsoon season. The
Chinese are planning to film the Olympic torch being carried
to the summit of Mt Everest around May 1-10 and due to their
concern that there will be free Tibet protests at the
mountain, the Chinese government closed access to Mt Everest
from the north (Tibetan side) only 10 days ago after months
of stating they would not.

Then just two days ago they
closed all access to Tibet to all tourists. Now the Chinese
government have forced the Nepalese government to follow
suit and close the mountain to all climbers on the south
(Nepal) side until May 10 when the torch carrying activities
have been completed.

``But this is too late for us to
then approach the mountain, set up our camps, fix ropes on
the mountain and hope to summit before the monsoon arrives
in early June.

``Apart from the huge amount of income
(which I estimate as about $10 million) lost to the local
peoples of Nepal and Tibet, who staff these expeditions and
rely on the income, this is a case where the legitimate
sport of mountaineering is forcibly being stopped - in the
name of the Olympics,’’ Cotter said.

``We have
attempted to negotiate with the Nepalese authorities through
our representatives in Kathmandu to suggest a compromise
where we go only as high as camp 3 on the mountain, some
1500m away from the summit until after the torch carrying
exercise is completed.

``This would ensure no summit day
interference from the free Tibet protesters they are so
worried about and allow us to continue our business, and
allow all those people who have spent a lot of time and
money preparing for the ascent to continue.

``My business
will be severely affected as we will not gain the income
from this major component of our overall yearly business,
but we will also face a difficult and embarrassing situation
trying to recoup funds we have already spent. That this
closure has come at the 11th hour makes the situation more
dire than if we had known months ago.

``The situation for
us is this: the Nepalese (especially the Sherpa people whom
New Zealanders have such a link to, through Sir Edmund
Hillary's efforts); and the Tibetans, is akin to having the
Australian government cancel the Rugby World Cup in NZ due
to an Australian issue that has little to do with the actual
event. This is the first time since Nepal opened its borders
to foreigners in 1951 that climbing Mt Everest has been
closed.’’

Cotter today asked Peters and the NZ
government to lobby the Chinese and Nepalese on behalf of
the climbing industry to request reconsideration.

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